Celiac disease (gluten sensitive enteropathy) is
a condition affecting the small bowel, characterized by permanent
intolerance to dietary gluten, and giving rise to varying degrees of
malabsorption and diarrhea. With the advent of sensitive screening tests,
the condition is being increasingly diagnosed. Celiac disease is more
common in the Irish and in those of Irish descent. Simoons (1978, 1981)
hypothesized that the present-day prevalence of celiac disease across
Europe is related to the interaction between genetic gradients, largely
determined by the advance of agriculture, and historical patterns of
cereal ingestion. This essay examines Simoons' hypothesis as it relates to
Ireland, reviews the ethnic and genetic mix of those living on the island
of Ireland and aspects of Irish dietary history, and considers how these
factors may have combined to result in a high frequency of celiac disease.

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